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RESULTS
Heart rate
Group analysis. The two-factor ANOVA did not reveal significance of (a),
meditation vs. nonmeditation (F = 1.35); (b), states (pre vs. during) (F 0.31)
or (c), interaction between the two factors (F= 0.50). In contrast, with the
paired t-test, comparison of the data of meditation (M) against premeditation
(pre-M) for the 18 subjects as a group showed that the heart rate was
increased by 2.1 beats per 40 s during M, and the difference was significant
(P < 0.02) (see the last row of the column M of Table I). There was no
significant change during the non-mediation (NM) period compared to its
preceding baseline (paired t-test, two-tailed, see the last row of the column
NM of Table 1). A third comparison (M vs. NM) revealed that the heart rate
during M was also significantly higher than during NM (P < 0.01, paired
t-test, two-tailed, last row of the column of the extreme right of Table 1).
Also, since one way of removing the regression of each treatment on its
baseline is to analyse the change score of heart rate of the 18 subjects
(M-pre-M vs. NM-pre-NM). These data were subjected to analysis using the
paired t-test, which revealed that the change scores of M (mean = + 1.4 change
of heart rate/ 40 s) were significantly different from the change scores of
the NM condition (mean = 0.3 change of heart rate/ 40 s (t (17) 2.97, P <
0.01). Also, the heart-rate values of the meditation condition have a
significant correlation with the base line value of the subjects obtained in
the pre-meditation period (r = 0.94, P < 0.001 (2)), or in the pre
non-meditation sitting period (r = 0.93, P< 0.00 1 (2)).
Individual analysis.
The heart-rate data of each subject were also examined separately. Based on
the three criteria mentioned above (Methods section, under data analysis), it
was noted that in eight subjects there was a definite trend of increase in
heart rate during M, whereas one subject showed a decrease in heart rate
during NM. Other
parameters (SR, finger plethysmogram amplitude, respiratory rate) Group
analysis (using both two factor ANOVA, as well as the paired t-test) did not
reveal a significant effect of meditation compared to its preceding baseline,
or to the non-meditation period (P > 0.10 for both tests and in all the
comparisons described in detail for heart rate).
The group mean ± S.D. values for these three
variables were as follows (1), SR; pre-M = 256.5 ± 62.1 kΩ, M = 246.3 ± 55.8
K, pre-NM = 264.3 ± 47.6 K, and NM = 271.3 ± 41.3 K, (2), Respiratory rate;
pre-M = 12.1 ± 2.4 breaths/ 40 s, M = 13.4 + 3.5 breaths /40 s, pre-NM = 11.9
± 1.8 breaths /40 s, and NM = 12.2 + 2.3 breaths /40 s. (3), Finger
plethysmogram amplitude; pre-M = 1.68 ± 0.74 cm, M = 1.24 ± 0.64 cm, pre-NM =
1.72 ± 0.71 cm, and NM = 1.66 ± 0.56 cm.
Individual level analysis (based on the three
criteria cited in the Methods section) has been summarized in Table II. It is
given below in detail. (1), SR; During M, 5 subjects showed a decrease and 3
showed an increase. In contrast, during NM 7 subjects showed an increase and 3
a decrease. (2), Respiratory-rate changes occurred during M (but not during
NM), i.e., 4 subjects showed a decrease, one showed a increase. (3), Finger
plethysmogram amplitude; during M, 4 subjects showed a decrease, whereas 2
subjects showed an increase during NM. |